Actor John Mahoney’s fearless attitude and burning desire to make it as a performer has to be applauded – and it paid off. He’s best known for his perfectly rounded portrayal of Martin Crane in the highly regarded TV sitcom Frasier. Sadly, Mahoney passed away in February 2018 aged 77 due to health problems. But who knew he was battling quite so many of them?

If there was ever someone who proved that it’s never too late to turn your life around, it was Mahoney. While most performers become entrenched in the entertainment business from an early age, the much-loved British actor didn’t get start treading the boards until his late 30s.

Born in England in 1940, Mahoney was brought into a world in the midst of a grueling war – World War II to be exact. Although his family’s home city was Manchester, Nazi bombing had driven his parents and his seven siblings to seek safety in the seaside resort of Blackpool.